Survival
by Thiswouldbeakick
Summary: 'Owen immediately realized he had walked into the trap these animals were only too good at setting up. He froze up and stared intently at the animal in front of him. He tried to read its expression to try and determine when the attack from behind would be coming'. Multi-chaptered fic. Larger summary inside. Some spoilers for Jurassic World. Please R and R.
1. Chapter 1

**I saw Jurassic World this week and I loved it!**

 **This is a bit of an AU for Jurassic World, after the raptors are used to try and kill the Indominus Rex. It will be a multi-chaptered fic.  
Will feature Claire, Zach and Gray in later chapters. **

**I realize this first chapter is a bit short, but it felt like the right place to end the chapter.  
** **Enjoy reading and all reviews are highly appreciated :-)**

* * *

As soon as the raptors had started communicating with the Indominus Rex, Owen had known the situation would escalate. And it had very quickly….

"This is not good…" Owen muttered to himself.  
He had not even finished speaking the words, before Blue, Charlie, Echo and Delta had turned around and started to approach the troopers menacingly.  
Where the raptors had been iNGen's secret weapon against the Indominus, they now turned against them and the animals wasted no time in delaying their attack.

For a few moments the four raptors stared menacingly at the troopers in front of them, before they suddenly scattered in different directions.  
"Watch your backs, everyone!" Owen shouted. He knew the raptors would now attack soon and knew they would attack from behind. He held his rifle at the ready, finger tensed around the trigger. He did not want to shoot his raptors, but realized that he might not have a choice.

The rustling of leaves and the rapid footsteps on the mossy forest floor, were their only short warning that the attack had truly begun.  
The raptors seemed to come from every directions and they were fast, clawing and biting at everything in their way.  
The iNGen troopers starting firing at anything that moved. They tried to eliminate the Indominus by burying it in bullets and grenades, but it only caused the large dinosaur to flee away from them, apparently not harmed even in the slightest. The raptors, on the other hand, were too fast for the troopers to get a good aim on and the animals continued to wreak havoc.

In only a short period of time, the four raptors killed or severely wounded many of the iNGen troopers.  
Owen managed to fight the animals off himself and those surrounding him for a while. Still, he knew that actually escaping with his life was a huge challenge.

Suddenly, one of the raptors popped up from behind a bush only a few yards in front of him. Owen immediately realized he had walked into the trap these animals were only too good at setting up.  
He froze up and stared intently at the animal in front of him. He tried to read the animal's expression to try and determine when the attack from behind would be coming. Because he knew damn well that at least one of the raptors was creeping up his six.

"Easy, Blue…" Owen said tensely, never breaking eye contact. The beta raptor cocked his head to the side and growled softly, flashing razor-sharp teeth.  
Owen cast a careful glance over his shoulder and he could indeed see movement behind him.  
"Easy…" Owen repeated. He slowly took a few steps to the side to see what the raptors would do with that. To his horror, he saw Blue copying his movement. Shit. The raptors were definitely still in killing-mode.

A sudden movement from Blue's head, gave Owen just a split-second to react. He dived forward and threw himself onto the ground for the attack he knew was coming from behind. He prepared himself for the deadly bite, the teeth sinking into his flesh to rob him of his life. But it didn't….  
Instead, he felt one of the raptor's heavy paws land on his back as the dinosaur ran over him. His muscles and bones groaned under the animal's weight.  
As the raptor put his full weight on the paw, one of its talons sank deep into Owen's back, right between his shoulder blades. The pain was intense, close to unbearable, but still nothing compared to what followed next.

The raptor set off, keeping up its stride. The talon still stuck in Owen's back, was forced backwards by the motion. It tore open Owen's flesh and left a deep laceration which stretched to halfway down his back.  
Owen immediately felt hot blood spill from his wounds and he screamed out in pain. The raptor that had wounded him stopped and turned to look at its victim. It was Charlie.  
Owen stared sadly at the animal he once almost trusted. He slowly came to terms with the fact that this animal would soon kill him, especially now it had smelled his blood.

Owen's rifle had fallen to the ground, just out of his reach and he knew he would never be able to grab it, before Charlie would reach him. He was simply defenceless against the animal.  
"Come on, just do it…." Owen whispered more to himself. He just wanted to be killed quickly and not some dragged out death.  
To his surprise, Charlie cocked his head to the side and made a noise that almost sounded like an apology. Their eyes locked once more, human and ancient being, before Charlie took off again at full speed. Blue followed him quickly and in the distance the other raptors could be heard doing the same.

Owen blew out a deep breath in relief. But his relief was only short-lived, when he realized that the few troopers that had managed to survive so far, had fled the scene in the trucks and with his motorcycle. He was now all alone, in the middle of the jungle, bleeding, severely wounded and with dangerous dinosaurs on the loose. He was lucky if he even survived the next hour….

Now that the adrenaline of the fight was wearing off, the pain from his wounds gradually started to take hold of Owen. He could feel his clothes stick to parts of his flesh that should not be exposed. Blood drenched his shirt and jacket and was soaking it even further with every passing minute.

Owen carefully tried to move, but quickly seized his attempts. Even the slightest movement hurt him unbelievably much and he found that his muscles would not cooperate with carrying any kind of weight. He slouched back to the ground, lying still on his front on the muddy grass. Black spots blurred his vision as the pain became more and more intense. His wounds stung, bit and seared all at the same time.

Slowly, he started to realize that, if nobody found him soon, he would probably die right here. And the chance that anyone would come back for him, was very slim.  
He thought about what Zach and Gray would think when they found out he had died. He was a hero in their eyes, and heroes were not supposed to die. He thought about how he regretted not getting a second chance at a date with Claire. And finally he thought about what an idiot he had been to let himself be talked into participating in Hoskins' plan. Owen knew perfectly well that he had helped set the raptors loose on the island, which had now resulted in the slaughter of nearly the entire team of troopers. And there were probably even more victims to come….  
He felt responsible for it all. The weight of every lost soul pressed down on his shoulders and tried to squeeze the breath out of him.

But mostly, Owen felt guilt. Guilty about betraying _his_ raptors.  
They had been a pack and he had been their alpha. It should have been his responsibility to protect them from people like Hoskins, but instead he had participated in leading the animals straight into their most certain death. And even if, in the slightest possibility that they survived, they would be scarred for life. His failure to protect his raptors weighed down hardest on him.

"I'm sorry…" Owen whispered into the grass. His muscles lost all their strength and his vision blurred even further. One single tear rolled down his cheek as he lost himself to unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I am completely overwhelmed by all the follows, favs and reviews that came in after the first chapter. Thanks everyone! :-)  
** **So, this is chapter 2. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review, it will be highly appreciated!**

* * *

Like Owen, Barry had immediately known something was not right when the raptors had started communicating with the Indominus Rex.

He had fought bravely alongside the iNGen troopers to try and save his own life and the lives of the others.  
But when he had realized they were losing the fight and when the troopers started to flee, he had retreated into a hollow tree and had waited it out there. Barry had only been armed with one single rifle and he knew damn well that was not going to cut it against these animals. So in this case he decided wholeheartedly for cowardice instead of heroism, and he was not ashamed of that at all.

* * *

When the forest had quieted down again, Barry silently crawled out of his tree. He stood a few moments listening intently, but could not pick up any sounds out of the ordinary.  
From the cover of his tree, he had seen the iNGen troopers flee, but Owen hadn't been amongst them. He just hoped his friend was still out there somewhere and had not been mauled like some of the others.

"Owen…?" Barry called out as loud as he dared. He listened intently for any sounds, both from his friend and of any dinosaurs creeping his way. But nothing happened, the jungle remained eerily quiet.  
"Owen?!" Barry tried again a little louder this time.

Suddenly Barry's eye caught a horrible sight. About 50 yards in front of him, he could just see a foot stick out from behind a small bush. The rest of the person was hidden by the vegetation, but Barry knew immediately who it was lying on the jungle floor. He recognized those boots out of thousands.  
"Oh, no!" he muttered as he broke into a run.

Barry reached the person in no time and found his fear confirmed.  
" _Merde!_ " he cursed when he saw that it truly was Owen and that he was clearly injured.  
He knelt down next to his friend. Owen was definitely still breathing, although it sounded a bit heavy and laboured.  
" _Mon dieu…_ " Barry was shocked to see the laceration which covered around two-thirds of Owen's back. Blood was staining his torn shirt and, other than his breathing, he was not moving at all.

"Owen?" Barry asked apprehensively. He carefully tapped and shook one of Owen's arms to give more strength to his words. At first nothing happened, Owen stayed as motionless as before. Barry repeated his actions once more.  
"Owen, can you hear me?" he said. This time Owen groaned softly in reply. His eyes rolled a few times behind closed lids, before he wearily opened them. He stared ahead glassily for some seconds, before he finally seemed to be able to focus his gaze on anything.  
"Barry…?" Owen breathed out, "why didn't you run like the smart man you are…?"  
Barry chuckled in relief. Owen making jokes like usual must mean he was not really on the brink of instant death.  
"I had to save your ass… again" he joked back. A short smile passed over Owen's face, but he was clearly in too much pain to have it last longer than a second.

They were startled by a earth-shuddering roar, most likely from the Indominus. It came from far enough for them not to be in immediate danger, but it was close enough for them to make haste in getting away.  
"We need to go, _now_ " Barry said controlled, yet urgently. "Can you walk?" he asked Owen, although he could already guess the answer.  
"I don't know…" Owen said weakly, "but I don't have much choice, do I?" Barry miserably shook his head, because he knew Owen was right.

Owen slowly rolled himself onto his side. Even the slightest movement felt as if he was being ripped apart all over again. From this new position he tried to push himself a little more up with his arms. His muscles, however, did not oblige with carrying the weight and he fell back to the ground with a soft grunt.  
Barry knew that Owen was in a lot more pain than he let on. That soft grunt was probably the understatement of the year. He watched his friend struggle to get himself upright for a few more seconds, before he held out his hand to Owen.  
"Getting to your feet is going to hurt anyway" he said, "best make it short pain". Owen stared apprehensively at Barry's outstretched hand.  
"Short pain…" he mumbled.

The moment Owen's hand clasped in his, Barry gave it a firm tug and effortlessly pulled him to his feet. Owen yelped in pain and went quite pale by the movements. He was in danger of immediately losing his balance again, but Barry steadied him quickly. Two large hands on his chest, prevented Owen from actually falling over.  
"Are you alright?" Barry asked the question, but he could already answer it by simply looking at Owen.  
"No…" Owen said weakly. The honesty of his answer was quite frightening. Owen usually was a man who would rather put up a façade, than show his weakness. He had once even told that he was fine, when he had broken his hand in an incident when they had just gotten the raptors. It had taken him two days to finally admit that he might need some medical attention. So, for him to admit so easily now that he was not well, did not predict much good.

"Now what?" Owen asked.  
"We need to get back to the resort, at least" Barry answered, "they surely cleared everyone out by now, but it provides more cover than this forest".  
"The resort is at least a ten mile walk from here" Owen sounded discouraged. He knew that he would never be able to make a walk that far before collapsing again.  
"I know" Barry said, fully understanding the situation, "but there isn't any other way…". He pointed in a southward direction.  
"The road must be about a mile that way, maybe we can find an abandoned vehicle along there to take us the last few miles" he said.  
"It's worth a try" Owen agreed. Together, the two men set off for their dangerous journey through the jungle.

* * *

Their progress was very slow. Barry had to support Owen with every step they took, as his friend leaned heavily on him. Without that support Owen would surely have already fallen to the ground many times and probably would not have gotten up.  
Owen's eyes were fixed on a point somewhere along the horizon. He was sweating profusely, still bleeding and his breathing was fast and shallow. He was fighting with all his will not to lose consciousness again.

"What was that?" Owen suddenly halted and looked around. He might be close to losing consciousness again, but his hearing was still perfectly fine.  
"What is what?" Barry asked and also looked around. Other than trees and bushes there was nothing to be seen.  
"That…" Owen said. He heard it again. It sounded like a muffled voice, speaking in panicked tones. Barry heard it now too. He scanned the darkness around them for the source of the voice, until he suddenly realized that it came from himself.

"The radio!" Barry exclaimed. And indeed, from one of his inside pockets he pulled a small walkie talkie. "I was sure I lost this!" he said.  
Barry turned up the volume of the walkie talkie and they could now clearly hear someone speak.  
"Hello?! Hello?! Is anybody out there?! Can somebody hear me?!" it sounded from the device.  
Owen's head snapped up at hearing the voice and his mind cleared somewhat as adrenaline rushed into him again. "That's Claire!".

Owen immediately took the radio from Barry.  
"Claire?" he blurted into it, "Claire, can you hear me?"  
"Owen!" her voice sounded immensely relieved, "where are you? Tell me you're okay!".  
"Barry and I are still in the forest" he answered, "we are getting close to the road now, about two miles north from the side lane to the Aviary".  
"I'm in a truck" Claire answered quickly, "I've got the boys and I'm coming your way. I should be able to reach you in about twenty minutes".  
"Make it faster" Owen said darkly. He swayed noticeably on his feet and had to fight a wave of vertigo. He grabbed Barry's shoulder to steady himself.  
"Owen?" Claire's voice broke on his name, "you don't sound well…"  
"That's because… I ain't…" Owen said dejectedly. Claire gasped audibly and it was clear she was crying now. Her voice sounded very small and vulnerable when she next spoke. "Please, hold on… for me…"

* * *

Barry and Owen did not hear from Claire again after those last words and resumed their slow progress to find the road.

"There!" Barry suddenly pointed out. Through the trees they could see one of the few street lights that were placed along the road.

It took them a few more minutes, but finally they stepped away from the tree line. The road was completely empty and silent.  
Barry nervously checked his watch. "It took us over twenty minutes to get here, she should be here by now".

Owen tried to focus on his hearing and sight, but all he could hear was the rushing of his own blood and all he could see were black spots. He groaned audibly as he tried to stay conscious. The walk through the forest had cost him too much and he was positively panting now. The pain from his wounds was immense and more than any human being would be able to take.  
"Owen, stay with me" Barry soothed. Owen had not even noticed that Barry had come to stand in front of him and was trying to look him right in the eyes.  
"I can hear the truck" Barry continued, "just hold on for a few more minutes, then we'll be safe".  
"I…. I…. can't…" Owen breathed out. His eyes rolled back and he went completely limp as he sank to the ground. The pain and loss of blood ultimately took the best of him and pulled him away into unconsciousness again.

Despite his best efforts, Barry could not prevent Owen crashing to the ground. He quickly felt his friend's pulse and was relieved to find a steady, albeit rapid, heartbeat. Owen's breathing was shallow and a bit irregular, but at least he was still alive.  
"Perfect timing, Grady" Barry muttered sarcastically.

Barry rose to his feet and turned around as the roar of a truck's engine grew even louder and the headlights became visible just after a last sharp turn. The truck was being driven at full speed and it did not take him long to see why….


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for all the lovely favs, follows and reviews!  
** **So, on with the next chapter. The last part of this chapter was where the idea for this story was born with, so it was quite a challenge for me to get it right. I hope I managed alright in the end :-)  
** **  
** **Enjoy reading and all reviews are still highly appreciated!**

* * *

It were the raptors. Somewhere along Claire's road to safety, the dinosaurs had found her and were now in rapid pursuit.

Barry watched the raptors skid through the sharp turn in the road, following the truck as if it were their prey.  
Claire had definitely found the gas pedal on the truck, and she had outrun the raptors so far. The dinosaurs were now a good 500 yards behind her, but they sure had the capacity to ultimately close that gap and properly attack. And he was sure they would…

* * *

Barry knew he would only have a short window of time to get himself and the unconscious Owen into the truck. He knew it would be tricky, but, in his eyes, not impossible. As long as he timed it right…  
He quickly lifted Owen off of the ground and took his friend on his shoulder. He waved his free arm at Claire and she flashed the headlights to indicate that she had seen him.

"Alright…" Barry mumbled to himself. The truck raced in his direction and was coming closer with every second. The ground underneath his feet shook from the stampeding raptors that were also rapidly gaining.  
The truck was now close enough to Barry that he could make out Claire's face and the terrified expression on it. It was clear that she was in great doubt whether Barry would succeed in getting into the truck without being snatched by one of the dinosaurs.

When she believed the time was right, Claire stomped on the break and brought the truck to a skidding stop. The raptors saw their chance and even further increased their speed.  
Right at that moment Barry felt Owen stir against his shoulder. "No, not now…" he muttered to his friend and took an even firmer grip on Owen's body. If Owen regained consciousness, Barry would have to control him. If Owen were on his own feet in his current condition, they would certainly not make it into the truck in time. But despite his slight signs of life, Owen remained unconscious and moved no further.

The truck hadn't even come to a full stop yet, when the back doors swung open. Zach and Gray appeared in the opening, ready to pull Barry and Owen in.  
"Seriously, man, don't look around!" Zach said fearfully. Barry wasn't planning on doing so, for he knew the raptors were getting dangerously close now. Their teeth ready to sink into him.  
Barry could feel the ground shake heavier and heavier from the raptors' feet colliding with the earth beneath them.

With one swift motion, Barry threw Owen, none too gently, into the truck. Zach and Gray immediately pulled the unconscious ranger further inside and into safety.  
Barry stubbornly did cast one quick glance over his shoulder and immediately wished he hadn't. The raptors were less than 20 yards away from him now, running at full speed.  
"GO!" he yelled loudly at Claire for her to start driving. He took a giant leap as the truck started to race away. Barry landed in the truck and immediately Zach and Gray reached for his arms to properly pull him in too.  
"Watch out!" Zach screamed. One of the raptors had made it to within 5 yards of the truck and lunged forward. It wasn't quite able to jump inside, but its beak still snapped shut menacingly close to Barry's legs.  
"Go, now!" Barry yelled again at Claire. She replied immediately by pressing the gas pedal all the way down to the floor, increasing their speed even further.

The missed jump caused the raptor, Blue, to fall heavily onto the road, which gave Claire just enough time to create a 'safe' distance between the truck and the raptors.

Blue had quickly scrambled to her feet again, with the other raptors stopping a little behind her. She gave one final roar, before definitely stopping the chase of the truck.  
The raptors stared down the road for a few more seconds, and then finally scurried away and disappeared into the jungle.

In the truck, Barry, Zach and Gray all cheered in relief at seeing the raptors retreat. For now, they were somewhat safe.  
"They're gone!" Zach informed Claire.  
"Are you guys alright?" Claire asked through the open window that separated the driver from the back. Now that the raptors were no longer in pursuit, she dared to take her eyes off the road for just a second to quickly look around into the back of the truck.  
"We're fine" Barry answered.  
"And Owen?" Claire asked carefully.  
"He's hurt pretty badly" Barry said, " we need to get him to a medic right away".  
"What happened to him?" Claire asked. Her voice was getting smaller with every word she spoke.  
"His back was cut open by one of the raptors' talons" Barry answered somewhat darkly.  
"Oh my God…" Claire breathed out, but no one else heard it.

Claire was silent for a few minutes. She did her best to hide from the others that she was crying silently.  
"Where are we going?" she asked when she was sure her voice would hold again.  
"We need to go to the docks" Barry said, "they're setting up shelters in the boat and plane hangars. There will be medics there too. They're in full evacuation mode now, but it will take them days to get all the 20.000 people off the island".  
Right. She should have known that too. Claire blamed her panic and fear for forgetting most of the standard operating procedures and protocols.  
"And what about the Indominus?" Claire asked, " as long as it's loose, the people will be in danger, right?"  
"The docks are outside the gates to the park" Barry said, "it should be quite safe, but the Indominus is no regular dinosaur. I know I won't sleep well until I know that animal is dead…"

* * *

Owen slowly awoke to the sounds of an engine being pushed to its limits. He felt his body sway softly, and sometimes more violently, with the movements of the vehicle. The pain this caused was close to unbearable. Especially the vehicle's more violent movements, felt like they were further ripping apart the already torn flesh of his back.  
He felt extremely weak. It was difficult to get his vision focussed and he felt he needed to breath faster than normal to receive the necessary amount of oxygen. He was certain his muscles would not support any kind of weight right now, so he lay still. He kept his eyes closed, wondering in the back of his mind where he could possibly be.

"We turn left here and then drive all the way to the end of this road". That was Barry's voice.  
Owen groaned softly, but his sounds were drowned out by the continuous roars of the engine. He slowly opened his eyes now and found himself almost face to face with Gray.  
The young boy sat right next to Owen on the floor of the truck's loading space. It was evident that he had been crying.  
"Hey, buddy…" Owen said just load enough for Gray to hear him.  
"Owen!" Gray exclaimed.

Owen heard some footsteps and a few seconds later Barry appeared in his line of vision as well.  
" _Mon dieu_ , Owen" Barry sounded relieved, "I though you had died for real this time".  
"Hmm…" was the only answer Owen produced, before falling silent again.  
Barry watched his friend with concern. Owen had gone extremely pale and, even though he was awake, he did not appear to be fully conscious. His eyes drifted in and out of focus and his wounds were still bleeding quite freely. And by the way Owen kept tensing the muscles in his arms, Barry could tell his friend was in extreme pain.

"Where are we?" Owen asked. His speech had started to slur.  
"In a truck of the Mobile Veterinary Unit" Barry answered, "Claire 'commandeered' it".  
A faint smile passed over Owen's face at Barry's joke, but as soon as it came, it also disappeared again.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked. He sounded close to tears again.  
"I'll live, buddy" Owen tried to cheer him up. Gray stared sadly at the man he considered his hero. The man who had saved him and was supposed to protect him, but who was now very much in need of saving himself.  
"I-I… don't want you to die…" Gray sobbed suddenly. Zach immediately scrambled over to his little brother's side and put an arm around him for comfort.

Owen's eyes locked with Gray's and he gave him the most reassuring look he could manage.  
"I won't, I promise…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi all! Thanks again for all the lovely favs, follows and reviews :-)  
** **On with the next chapter now, I hope you will all enjoy it.**

 **Please leave a review, they are highly appreciated ;-)**

* * *

Owen was drifting in and out of consciousness now. The blood loss and pain started to take a heavy toll on him, and he wasn't quite sure how long he was able to hold on before he would lose consciousness indefinitely.

"Indominus…?" Owen asked in one of his conscious moments.  
Barry shook his head. "Still out there".  
"She must… be…. destroyed" Owen said with a great effort.  
"I know" Barry answered, "we tried everything already. About the only thing that is left is bombing the island when it has been completely evacuated".  
"Let nature… have its course" Owen said, now looking right at Barry. A strange twinkle had appeared in his eyes.  
"What are you on about?" Barry asked, clearly not understanding.  
"He means you need more teeth to defend the Indominus" Gray suddenly said. Barry looked surprised at the child, for he himself had not understood what Owen meant.  
"More teeth?" he repeated.  
"T-Rex" Gray said as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

Finally Barry understood what Owen's plan was.  
"You mean to set the T-Rex loose on the island as well?!" he blurted out incredulously.  
"The park's gone to the dogs anyway" Zach piped up, "what does one more dinosaur matter?"  
Barry shrugged. "Well…." He was clearly not convinced yet.  
"The T-Rex is the only one who has a shot… against the Indominus" Owen spoke slowly and with great effort, "set it loose…"  
Barry was speechless for a full minute, but finally seemed to reach the conclusion that Owen's plan was the only reasonable thing that was left to do right now.  
" _Ah, merde_!" he cursed under his breath.

Barry rose to his feet and moved over to the window that separated them from Claire.  
"Drop me off at the resort" he said to her.  
"What? Why?!" Claire asked as if he were crazy. Barry sighed deeply to assemble his courage.  
"I am going to release the T-Rex".  
"Are you out of your mind?!" Claire was completely shocked by the plan.  
"I must be" Barry answered, "but we don't have much choice".

* * *

Owen did not speak again after he had made Gray that promise. He simply lay on his side on the floor of the truck. He was hearing, but not really listening. He heard Barry speak to Claire, and Zach comforting Gray, but he did not register what was being said.

"Shouldn't we keep pressure on that?" Zach indicated Owen's wounds, which were still bleeding.  
"It's better that we do, but…" Barry began. Zach's words, however, had made it into Owen's mind and he interrupted Barry mid-sentence. .  
"If any of you touch that wound without sedating me into oblivion first… I swear to God, I will kill you all". Owen mumbled the words, but both Barry and Zach had heard it.  
"Alright, easy" Barry raised his hands in apology, "I wish we had something here that I could give you for the pain, but everything in here is for animals".  
"So?" Owen slurred.  
"Well, I don't want to kill you just yet. Hold on a little but longer" Barry carefully placed a hand on Owen's shoulder, "we'll get you to a medic who will most certainly be able to sedate you into oblivion". Owen smiled weakly at Barry's remark, before slumbering back into his state of semi-consciousness.

* * *

"We're nearly at the resort!" Claire said over her shoulder after they had driven for a while.  
"Drop me off at the main entrance to the hotel" Barry said. The tension was clear in his voice, the realization of what he was about to do was strong. He could very well be killed…

Claire stopped the truck at the place Barry had indicated.  
"Drive straight to the docks" he said to her, "don't look around and don't come back for me".  
"But how will we know that you survived?" Claire asked.  
"If I do, I'll find my way back to you" Barry answered. Claire opened her mouth to say something, but was not able to find her voice. In the end she closed her mouth again without uttering a single word.  
"Good" Barry said, minutely touching her shoulder as a soothing gesture, "take care of Owen, make sure he is alright".  
"I will" Claire whispered back.

Barry climbed out of the truck and shut the door behind him. Claire drove off the moment the door fell closed. She kept looking at Barry via one of the side mirrors, until a turn in the road took him out of her view.  
Barry was watching Claire disappear from his view too. Perhaps it was the last time that either of them saw each other…

* * *

It was another thirty minute drive from the resort to the docks, but Claire made it in just under twenty.

Heavily armed troopers from the remaining members of Asset Containment were stationed all around the harbour, to try and defend the guests and other survivors in case the Indominus attacked here.  
One of the troopers waved a flashlight at Claire when she raced in their direction.  
"Ms. Dearing" the trooper said when Claire stopped the truck right next to him, "I'm sorry, I did not recognize you. Please, drive straight ahead and at the end at your right. You'll find shelter there, and food and water".  
"Thank you" Claire said sincerely, "but what I really need is a medic. Quick. I bring a wounded".  
"I'll alert them" the trooper said and immediately reached for his radio, "drive ahead, they'll be awaiting you there".

Claire drove in the direction the trooper had indicated and stopped at the end of the small street in front of one of the hangars.  
Sure enough, a few white-clad men immediately approached her when she stepped out of the truck.  
"Are you alright, ma'am?" one of the medics asked her, looking Claire straight into the eyes.  
"Yes, yes, I'm fine" Claire said and waved their concern away, "it's my friend, he is injured".

Claire walked around the truck and opened the back doors.  
The medics immediately pushed her gently out of the way. Two of them entered the truck and turned their attention to Owen, while a third medic ushered Zach and Gray out and took them inside for further assessment.  
Claire had not actually seen Owen's wounds yet, but was now faced with the full extent of it. She watched him lie, broken and defeated, on the floor of the truck, wading in a still growing pool of his own blood. The tears she had been trying to hold back for a long time, came spilling freely now. And Claire knew they would continue to do so for a long time.

* * *

Owen felt the vehicle stop moving and he could hear voices outside. Suddenly the doors of the truck opened and he could feel the cool night air wash over him.  
People were now kneeling down next to him, asking him questions and touching his arms and shoulders. Oh, how he wished they stopped touching him! Couldn't they imagine that every single movement hurt him?!

"Sir, what is your name?" Owen managed to focus his gaze on the man kneeling next to him. It clearly was a doctor, judging from the white coat and the stethoscope hanging around the man's neck.  
"Owen" he answered softly.  
"Alright, Owen" the doctor said, "can you tell me what happened to you?"  
"I… I got run over by Charlie… uhm… a Velociraptor" Owen managed to say with difficulty. He still had trouble keeping his focus on one thing for longer then 30 seconds, before unconsciousness was already trying to pull him under again.  
"Can you tell me where you are?" the doctor asked.  
"Isla Nublar" Owen said.  
"And the date?" the doctor continued.  
"August 16th". Owen was getting a little fed up with the questions by now.  
"I'm sorry, it's protocol I ask you these things" the doctor said. He had probably heard the chagrin in Owen's weak voice.

Another doctor had taken place on Owen's other side and was carefully studying the wound.  
"Approximately 10 inch laceration, stretching from the shoulder blades to halfway down the back. Depth is about 3,5 inches, possibly deeper at some points. Bleeding and soft tissue damage is substantial. Condition of muscles and tendons is unknown for now". The doctor was giving the report to his colleague as if he were commenting on the weather.

"Owen, just one more question" the doctor facing him said to Owen, "tell me how you feel".  
Owen took his time answering this question. "Foggy" he finally said, "weak… cold… agonized… scared". The last word was barely more than a hoarse whisper.  
"Okay, don't worry" the doctor said, "you're going to be alright, we'll take care of you".  
Owen stared up at the doctor with pain-filled, blue eyes. "Please…"he breathed out, before sliding away into unconsciousness again.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am sorry for the long wait on this next chapter... :-( I suddenly found myself very busy and with no time to update.  
** **But, here is the next chapter now. Enjoy!  
** **Still, all reviews, favs and follows are highly appreciated :-)**

* * *

Owen was placed on a stretcher and carried into one of the smaller hangars, which served as 'hospital'. This was clearly the place where the more seriously wounded were treated, because it was far less busy than could be expected.  
There were several operating tables and a few rows of field beds. Nurses were hurrying around to care for the patients that had already been treated and even more doctors were still working on injured people.

The doctors quickly carried Owen to the nearest operating table and lay him down on it. He was placed on his stomach, so that they were able to examine his wounds well.  
Claire stood near Owen's head and watched the medics work. Tears were still streaming down her face.

The doctors wasted no time and immediately cut open Owen's shirt and removed it from him.  
One of them minutely inspected the wound, while the other doctor got an IV going.  
Owen stirred and groaned softly as the needle pierced his skin. By now he was almost continuously in a semi-conscious state and did not protest at all to the doctors poking and prodding him.  
Claire immediately inched closer to Owen when she heard him make a sound and took a soft hold of his hand.  
"It's okay, were safe" she whispered to him. Owen mumbled something in reply, but Claire could not make out what it was. She hesitated for a second, before she lovingly placed a hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Miss Dearing?" The doctor that had been examining Owen's injuries now turned to Claire, "do you have a moment?"  
Together with the doctor, Claire walked a little away from Owen. Far enough to be out of his earshot, but close enough so she could keep an eye on him.  
"The wounds are treatable" the doctor started, "but we need to do some extensive cleansing of the wound, along with removing dead tissue and applying sutures".  
At first Claire only paid attention to the notion that the wounds were treatable, but from the fact that the doctor was adding all these things to his diagnosis, she knew there was a catch somewhere.  
"And?" she asked wearily.  
"Usually this kind of treatment is done under full anaesthesia" the doctor answered, "but on this island we do not carry that kind of medicine".  
"So you can't help him right now?" Claire felt her voice choke up again.  
"There is a way" the doctor said, "but it is less comfortable for the patient. We can give him a local anaesthetic, similar to an epidural. It takes away the pain, but the patient is conscious throughout the procedure. Also, he will feel the pressure on his body of the operation, which can lead to anxiety".  
Claire looked up sadly at the doctor. "What choice do we have?"…

* * *

It was easily agreed that there wasn't much choice for Owen. He would have to be treated in the less conventional way. Claire had only agreed to it, after the doctor had assured her that Owen would definitely feel no pain and that the result of the treatment would be the same.

So now Claire stood by Owen's head again, slightly nervously awaiting the doctors to start the procedure. Doubt gripped at her as she saw scalpels and suture needles being made ready.  
"C-can… I have a c-chair?" she asked shakily. She felt a wave of vertigo hit her and she was certain she would not be able to keep it together should she remain standing. The closest doctor seemed to understand her situation and quickly collected a chair for her and handed her a glass of water.  
"Thank you" Claire said gratefully.  
"Here" the doctor said, placing the chair next to the operating table with the back of the chair to the doctors, "if you sit like this, you will have your back turned to us. You do not have to watch us work". Claire smiled thankfully at the doctor and sat down on the chair. It was placed strategically next to the head of the operating table and on the side Owen was facing.  
"But… you don't have to stay during the operation" the doctor said, watching Claire's pale face with some concern.  
"Yes, I do" she answered determinedly.

* * *

There were three doctors in total involved in completing the procedure.  
Claire sat at Owen's head and was carefully caressing the back of one of his hands. He lay with his eyes closed, but she knew that he was conscious. From time to time, Claire could see the muscles in his jaw or forearms flex up in discomfort. His breathing was somewhat elevated and a shiver ran through him from time to time.

"Okay, Owen" one of the doctors said, "you're going to feel a mean sting to your back now. Do not worry about it, we are placing the anaesthetic. You may feel the sensation like going paralyzed, but that is normal".  
Owen groaned softly as the needle was stung into his flesh. One of his hands tightly gripped the edge of the operating table in an attempt to channel the pain. Claire wrapped a hand around Owen's and squeezed it in comfort. It was the only thing she was able to do, to try and help Owen through this ordeal. Other than that they would both just have to take the situation as it was thrown to them…

* * *

The doctors worked as fast as they could.  
Even though Claire kept her back turned towards them, she could hear them passing around instruction to one another all the time. Questions and commands for scalpels, disinfectant and sutures made her realize the severity of the situation. She did not once venture a peak over her shoulder at the doctors working, afraid that it would either lead to projectile vomiting or passing out onto the floor.  
Instead she kept her full attention on Owen. It was evident that he was not at all at ease. Beads of sweat now covered his face and arms, he kept his eyes pressed firmly shut and a deep frown had formed on his face. Occasionally a soft groan would escape him, probably when the doctors had to reach a little deeper into the wound.

"Are you in pain?" Claire asked after a while.  
"No, but it feels strange. Sometimes I feel a lot of… pressure and tugging" Owen answered, never opening his eyes.  
"That's normal" one of the doctors said, clearly having heard the answer. Owen seemed to relax marginally after being told that what he felt was not something to worry about, but he still remained tensed throughout the procedure.

* * *

The operation took about an hour.  
Claire felt like it was the longest hour of her life. She had not seen anything the doctors had been doing, but the discomfort simply radiated off Owen and affected her too.

"Okay, Owen, we're finished" one of the doctors said, "the anaesthetic will be wearing off in the next few hours, but we will keep administering pain killers through the IV. I assure you that you will not feel any pain. In a few minutes you will be relocated to another part of the medical wing, where you can rest".  
"Thank you, doctor" Claire answered for Owen, cause she could see that he was not going to do that.  
The doctors walked away to clean up after the operation and change out of their operating gear.

Claire finally ventured a peak at Owen's back. A large part of it was covered by white bandages, but exposed parts of his skin showed black bruises and smaller cuts.  
Under those bandages were, undoubtedly, many sutures holding his torn skin together. Claire shortly tried to imagine what it must look like, but quickly seized those thoughts and turned her attention back to Owen.

"Hey..." Claire brought her face close to Owen's, "they're all done, you're going to be alright". Owen slowly opened his eyes and looked at Claire with a worn out expression on his face.  
"I know…" he whispered.  
"Are you feeling any pain?" Claire asked carefully, for she could still see the muscles in Owen's forearms tensed up to their max.  
"Not really" Owen answered softly.  
"But… you're trembling" Claire said a little shocked. And indeed, Owen was trembling like a leaf now. "Are you cold?" she tried instead.  
"No, no…" Owen hesitated for a moment, "this all just brings me back to things I thought I had left behind… Things that I don't like to be reminded of…"


	6. Chapter 6

**So, this will be the penultimate chapter to this story. Thanks again for all the lovely favs, follows and reviews!  
** **I hope you'll all enjoy this next chapter. All reviews are still highly appreciated :-)**

* * *

Before Claire could ask any further questions, the doctors returned and took Owen away. They brought him to the most quiet field bed they could find, somewhere in a far corner of the hangar.  
Claire followed them at a short distance. She watched the doctors carefully lift Owen onto the bed and make him as comfortable as they could.  
They placed him on his side now and covered him up with warm blankets. One doctor spoke to Owen in hushed tones and Owen replied equally quietly.  
When they were certain their patient was comfortable, the doctors left him to rest.

Claire carefully approached Owen. He lay with his eyes closed, but his breathing was still too shallow for him to be asleep.  
"Owen…?" Claire asked hesitantly. Owen half-opened his eyes to look at her.  
"Are you alright now?" She knew it was a dumb question, but Claire simply could not ask what she truly wanted to know.  
"I know you are concerned about what I just said" Owen said softly.  
"Oh…" Claire was a little taken aback by this turn of events, but quickly rearranged herself.  
"You kind of scared me with it" she said honestly.  
"I'm sorry" Owen answered, "I didn't mean to do that". Claire looked at him a little expectantly, clearly eager to find out the meaning behind his earlier words.  
"I'll tell you all about it in the morning" he breathed out, "I'm just not up for it now…". His voice grew weaker with every word.  
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" Claire said softly. Owen smiled weakly, before closing his eyes and almost instantly falling into a deep sleep.

Claire watched Owen as he completely fell into sleep's arms. The frown disappeared from his face, his muscles relaxed and his breathing became slow and deep. For the first time that day he was completely as ease.  
Claire carefully caressed Owen's arm with one of her fingers, while she kept watching him.  
"Get better" she whispered.

* * *

The plan had worked. It had been the most outrageous plan, but it _had_ worked.

Barry had released the T-Rex, which had almost instantly attracted the Indominus. And like Owen had probably been expecting, the two dinosaurs had immediately engaged in a life and death battle.

Barry had not lingered to see what would happen, but had fled into one of the restaurants of the resort to wait it out there.

The battle between the dinosaurs seemed to take forever. For a while it looked like the Indominus would be winning the fight after all, but finally it was the T-Rex that had gotten out on top. It had left him heavily scarred and it had needed some help from the Mosasaurus and the remaining Velociraptors to win, but that did not make the result any less gratifying.

Barry only ventured out of his hiding place about 30 minutes after the fight had ended, finding it finally safe enough.  
He slowly rose to his feet and cautiously stepped into the view of the spot where the T-Rex had been earlier. The entire resort had gone quiet, except for the crackling of some still burning fires.  
Barry silently crept out of the cover of the small building he was in. A trail of blood on the concrete betrayed in which direction the T-Rex had retreated. Luckily it was in the opposite direction of the docks, where all the survivors were. So for now things looked somewhat good.

Barry took a few steps further out of his hiding place, before he suddenly heard a snarl come from his left. He slowly turned around to face the source of the sound.  
"Hi, Blue…" Barry said slowly, as he saw the raptor stand a few feet away from him. She was staring at him with something that much resembled confusion.  
Barry had seen her sisters getting killed by the Indominus when they had mingled in the fight, so he knew Blue was all alone now and he was certain that she realized it too.  
"Easy, girl, I'm not going to hurt you" Barry continued. He never broke eye-contact with the raptor. This usually was Owen's business and he was not certain whether Blue would be calmed down by him as well. The raptor suddenly snapped its jaws shut audibly and took one step towards Barry.  
Barry's heart skipped a beat. He had not just lived through two giant dinosaurs fighting, to be mauled by one of his own Velociraptors.

Barry did not speak to Blue again, but held up a hand to signal the animal to back away. Blue seemed to understand the gesture and indeed did not come any closer.  
Barry could see the wounds on Blue too. She had been heavily bitten by the Indominus a few times. Without proper care he was not certain how long she would be able to survive on her own.

"Blue…?" Barry felt a sudden wave of sadness, for he knew perfectly well what ultimately would be this raptor's fate. He held out a hand to Blue, changing the gesture from 'stop' to 'come closer'.  
Blue shortly sniffed his hand, but before Barry could touch her rough skin, she turned on her heels and trotted away. Barry stared after the animal, until she disappeared from his view. It probably was the last time he would ever lay eyes on her.  
"Farewell, Blue" he whispered.

* * *

Shortly after Owen, Claire had fallen asleep too. It wasn't quite comfortable in the chair beside his bed, but she was simply too exhausted to care much about that.

She found herself being woken up by sounds she should not be hearing.  
She opened her eyes. The hangar was mostly dark by now. The only light shone from an area near the entrance, where the doctors were still taking care of some patients.  
Claire pushed herself more upright with a groan and immediately knew what had awoken her. Owen was still sleeping, but was stirring and moaning and mumbling softly.  
"No…" it came from him, "no… don't let him die…no…it's not fair…".

Claire wrapped her hand around Owen's wrist and shook it gently.  
"Owen, wake up, it's okay" she said to him in an attempt to calm him down.  
"No, he can't be dead…" Owen moaned, still trapped in his nightmare.  
"Owen, wake up, it's just a dream" Claire tried again. This time she gave a harder tug at his shoulder. Owen's following groan sounded a little agitated, but he wearily opened his eyes. For a few seconds he stared right at Claire without actually seeming to see her. Claire stared back at him and was shocked by the utter hurt she saw in his eyes. Not hurt from his wounds, but deep-rooted mental pain of things long gone.  
Claire smiled weakly at him. Owen finally seemed to truly see her, the pain in his eyes disappearing.  
"Thank you" he whispered to her, before closing his eyes and trying to drift off to sleep again.

* * *

Claire couldn't say she hadn't been shaken up by Owen's behaviour ever since the operation. She was certain some kind of old trauma was eating away at him at the moment, but she simply did not have the heart to ask him about it. At least not yet…

"I'm going to look for Zach and Gray" Claire said out loud. She was not sure whether Owen was still awake, but she informed him anyway.

Claire quietly stood up from her chair and walked away. She went through a series of doors that connected the two hangars. The second hangar was vast, filled with survivors from the island. Some bore minor injuries, but most seemed to be unharmed.

Claire sighed miserably as she stood on the edge of the vast space. A labyrinth of field beds lay in front of her. How was she ever going to find two children amongst all these people? Where was she even going to start looking for them?  
She contemplated just calling out to them, but abandoned that idea when she noticed most of the people were sleeping. Slowly she came to realize that there was only one thing she could do: start from the beginning and walk past every single person in the hangar.

* * *

Claire had already been searching for an hour and had not even cleared a quarter of the space. She was starting to feel somewhat annoyed, but knew that she could not give up. She needed to find her nephews.  
When she turned into the umpteenth aisle of field beds, she finally saw them. Gray was lying on one of the beds, with Zach sitting on the floor next to the bed.

"Zach! Gray!" Claire called out to them. The two boys jumped to their feet and hurried her way.  
"Is Owen alright?" Was the first thing Gray wanted to know.  
"Yes" Claire answered, " he's going to be fine".  
"Can we go see him?" Zach looked expectantly at Claire.  
"Sure" she said, also knowing that they would probably not take no for an answer.  
"Come on, I'll take you to him" she added and wrapped an arm lovingly around Gray's little shoulders.

Together with Zach and Gray, Claire made to return to the other hangar. But before they had even walked three feet, Claire spun round at the sound of her name being called.  
Her eyes scanned the surroundings in search for someone that was familiar to her. And when she had finally found the person who had called out to her, she saw someone she had believed she would never see again. Relief washed over Claire in great waves and when the man was walking towards her, there was only one thing she could say.  
"Oh, my God, Barry! How the hell did you survive?!"


	7. Chapter 7

**So... this will be the last chapter to this story. Thanks to all the readers and everyone that fav'ed, followed and reviewed.  
** **I hope you'll all like this last chapter. Still, all reviews are highly appreciated! :-)  
**

* * *

Claire could not believe that Barry had walked away unscathed from setting loose the T-Rex.  
"Tell me, how did you manage to survive?" she asked incredulously.  
" _Mon dieu,_ I honestly don't know" Barry answered.  
"Is it… dead?" Zach asked carefully.  
"Yes, it is" Barry answered with a friendly smile.  
"And what about the T-Rex?" Gray asked.  
"It's alive" Barry answered. "But you're safe here, it can't get to you" he quickly added when he saw a hint of fear in Gray's eyes.  
Barry turned back to Claire. "How's Owen?"  
"Hanging in there" Claire said, "but this took a lot out of him".  
Barry sadly shook his head. "It will get even worse when he learns the raptors are dead…"

* * *

Claire, Barry, Zach and Gray returned the same way Claire had come in. Through the series of doors and into the other hangar again. Claire led the way to where she had left Owen.  
Already from a distance she could see something was not right. The blankets were bundled up, the IV-line hung onto the floor and the field bed was most definitely empty.

Claire ran the last few meters, panic gripping at her heart.  
'Where is he?" Barry asked. The confusion and a hint of fear was clear in his voice and written all over his face.  
"I-I don't know" Claire said the words louder than she meant to and her voice was a pitch higher than usual.  
"Don't worry" Barry immediately soothed, "we'll find him. He's still seriously injured, so he can't have gone far".  
Claire nodded weakly. "Stay here" she said to Zach and Gray, "keep an eye out for him, maybe he just comes back within a few minutes".  
"I'll search among the other survivors" Barry said to Claire, "you look for him outside".

Barry and Claire split up, while Zach and Gray remained where they were.  
Claire quickly trotted outside, looking left and right for the ranger.  
"Owen!" She yelled once stepping out into the cool night air, hoping he would simply answer to her. But everything remained quiet. There weren't many lights on at the docks, so it was difficult for her to distinguish much else than shapes and silhouettes.

Claire randomly picked a side, and turned left. She ran a few hundred meters that way, until she was certain Owen had never managed to get that far. She had not left him alone that long and he was still injured, so he would not have been able to move fast. Claire sighed miserably, looking around in the darkness for any kind of movement.  
"Owen!" she yelled again, but still no response was given. She turned around and ran back the same way she had come. This time passing by the entrance to the hangar and running to the right side of it.  
She only had to run about 300 meters, before her eyes were caught by a silhouette to her left side. There, sitting on the edge of the quay, was Owen.

"Owen?" Claire approached him carefully. She was uncertain as to why he sat there. Had his wounds caused him to tire and was he simply sitting here to rest? Or was this some strange attempt at suicide?  
"Hey, Claire" Owen answered softly. He sat staring out over the water, his eyes fixed on some point on the horizon.

Claire slowly, but steadily, came closer, until she could finally sit down next to him on the edge of the quay. Their feet dangling over the edge, just above the water.  
Owen was still dressed the way they had left him in the hospital bed: only jeans and socks, no shoes and shirt. He sat slightly hunched over, clearly still experiencing discomfort from his wounds.  
"You're going to be cold" Claire said, lightly touching his upper arm to feel his skin.  
"I'm alright" Owen answered, "this is the tropics, I never get cold here". He spoke the words in a way hat made a chill run down Claire's spine. The words should probably have meant to be breezy, but they sounded strained and choked. Like he was trying hard to control his voice and posture.

Claire truly looked at Owen's face now. There was unbelievable hurt etched into his features and for a split-second she thought she saw the reflection of a single tear-track running down his cheek.  
"You're not alright" she said desperately, "why won't you just tell me what is wrong?! Ever since we're here tonight, you've been acting strange. Let me help you deal with it…"

Owen bit his lower lip, clearly deciding what he would do. He sat like that for a few seconds, before sighing deeply and shaking his head.  
"I can't" he said weakly. Claire slammed one of her hands into the stones of the quay.  
"No" she said firmly, "you're going to tell me. Right now! Something is not right and you are going to tell me what it is!". She could feel tears begin to sting in her eyes at her powerlessness to just make him cough it up.  
The corner of Owen's mouth twitched into a faint smile at Claire's sudden perseverance, but it disappeared as sudden as it had come.  
"You've really started to care, haven't you?" he asked.  
"Yes" she immediately answered.

Owen sighed deeply and remained silent. Claire felt her spirits sink in again. He was never going to tell her what was on his mind, and she had to admit that it stung her.

* * *

The two of them remained silent for a while, both of them staring off in the dark distance.  
"You probably know that I was in the Marines" Owen suddenly said. His words were soft, but strained.  
"I do" Claire answered a little hesitantly. Was this it? Was he finally going to open up to her?  
"A couple years back we were on a mission" Owen began, "we were to rescue a few American soldiers out of the hands of Peruvian terrorists. The location they were hiding was only accessible by boat. We knew it was going to be tough to break through their defences, but…"  
Owen fell silent and passed a hand over his face. Claire was about to say something when he started speaking again.  
"They ambushed us" Owen continued, "their gunmen and snipers were at a completely different location than our intelligence told us…"  
"You got set up?" Claire asked carefully.  
"Probably" Owen said, "our team consisted of 25 men and we were reduced to five by the time we reached the beach. That is where they shot and killed another three of us".

Claire gasped audibly and tears were now rolling down her cheeks. "They killed everyone?" she asked quietly.  
"By that time only me and my friend Sebastian were left alive" Owen's voice grew darker, "we could see the entire village burning on the shores and we knew they had killed the prisoners. Seb and I, we…we made a run for it. We ran back into the sea and that was when they got Seb…. He was hit in the lower back, paralyzing his legs instantly. I went back for him, but… that was when I got hit as well".

Owen absentmindedly ran a hand over the front side of his left shoulder. Claire could see a large scar there, which she had never noticed before. She did not have to ask where the bullet had hit him.  
"Did the terrorists capture you?" she asked.  
Owen nodded his head. "We were thrown into some stinking cell, without any daylight. We were given food and water only once a day…". Owen had to swallow hard a few times before he could continue.  
"It took Seb three days to die… and I watched every excruciating second of it... My own wound got infected badly and caused blood poisoning. By the time another rescue operation found us, five days later, I was more dead than alive".  
"Oh my God…" Claire gasped, "I'm so sorry!" She carefully placed an arm around Owen's shoulders. She had expected him to pull away, but he didn't. If anything, he even slightly leaned into her arm.  
"The Marine doctors, they managed to save my life, but… as soon as I was discharged from their medical care I turned in my resignation. I would not have been able to handle another mission". Again he fell silent.

"Ah! You must find me so weak now!" Owen suddenly blurted out and buried his face in his hands.  
"No! Of course not!" Claire grabbed Owen's chin and made him look at her.  
"You lost your friend" she said sympathetically, "you almost died yourself. You went through a very traumatic experience and it's only natural that you're having trouble dealing with it. You have _nothing_ to be ashamed of".  
"Seb was my best friend" Owen said softly, "we did the academy together, we had two tours together before that final one. You could never find one without the other". The ghost of a smile flashed over his face at the memories of better days.  
Owen sighed miserably. "Tonight's events just took me back to that and it broke me all over again… I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before". The last words were barely more than a whisper.  
"It's okay" Claire said, now soothingly rubbing small circles over his shoulder, "I'm just glad that you told me now".

* * *

Claire and Owen sat silently on the quay for another while.  
Claire felt so much compassion for Owen now, but knew she could not even begin to understand his pain. She looked at his muscled physique and how she had always found him cocky and so self-aware, but tonight she had seen a whole other side of him. A side that showed that, beyond everything, he was just a man of flesh and blood. A man who could be broken.

Claire could feel Owen start to shiver slightly under her arm still around his shoulders.  
"Come on, let's get you back inside" she said. Owen allowed himself to be guided back to his feet and be steered in the direction of the hangar.

"Claire!" A voice suddenly sounded out of the darkness.  
"Over here!" Claire yelled back, recognizing Barry's voice.  
"Thank God, you found him!" Barry had come sprinting in their direction and came to a full stop in front of Claire and Owen. He immediately offered Owen his shoulder for support, but Owen waved the gesture away.  
"You got out" Owen said to Barry with a smirk, holding up his 'strong man' physique again.  
" _Oui_ , I did" Barry answered, "I set that T-Rex loose, just like you said, and it killed that damn Indominus. I must say, that was some plan, man!".  
"Nice job making it work" Owen complimented Barry and gave him the first real smile of that day.

"Owen…" Barry began, mustering up the courage for what he was about to say. Owen looked up at him inquiringly.  
"The raptors…" Barry began, "they're… they're dead".  
"All of them?" Owen asked softly. He was staring at his feet now, rather than looking at Barry.  
"Blue survived, but she's injured" Barry answered, "and even if she recovers from her wounds…"  
"Being alone will kill her" Owen finished the sentence for Barry, "Velociraptors are pack animals, they can't survive without the others. So, soon, the island will be without raptors. I just hope for her it's quick…".  
Claire gently squeezed one of Owen's shoulders. She knew what the raptors meant to him and losing them made this night even worse for him. It was clear from Owen's expression that he was dealt another emotional blow, but wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet or even admit to it.

Owen sucked in a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky.  
"What do we do now?" he wondered out loud.  
"We get everyone off this island, lock it and throw away the keys" Barry said with some sarcasm, although it was clear he meant it.  
"The first ferries will be arriving soon" he added, "I'll go see what I can do to help".  
Barry walked away from them, back to the hangar, but before he was out of earshot he turned back to Owen.  
"Don't leave without me" he shouted at his friend.  
"I wont't!" Owen answered.

"So, what do _we_ do?" Owen said to Claire. Her arm now rested around his waist. He tried to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but his wounds prevented him from lifting his arm that high. Instead he chose to grab her hand.  
"I believe this all leaves us both without a job" he joked.  
"I say we stick together" Claire said smiling. And for the first time she dared to admit to herself that she had fallen in love with Owen.  
"That sounds perfect" Owen answered, and Claire could see her feelings were being answered, "we stick together. For survival".


End file.
